Lauren Winter, Abigail Miller Among Riders To Watch At NT BMX Titles
More than 200 riders are expected to compete for the BMX NT Titles at Nhulunbuy, which is only a short distance away. Take a look at some of the most promising young riders who are making waves in the women's divisions.
As the 2023 Hutsix BMX Racing Territory Championships get near, approximately 200 competitors are gearing up to take to the track.
The championships, which begin on September 25 and take place in Nhulunbuy, are expected to attract riders of all ages from all around the Territory.
Many of the most promising young female riders, many of whom have already been to other states and even other countries to showcase their skills, will also be participating.
Dieter Mittermayer, coordinator of cycling operations in the Northern Territory, has noted that BMX is becoming increasingly welcoming to female participants.
He remarked that "Australia has come a very long way" in supporting female athletes and teams across many sports.
However, there is a great deal of untapped potential, which is incredibly motivating.
There are some outstanding women in the Territory who will inspire the next generation of girls to take up cycling because of their example.
Below, you'll find some information on some rising stars.
Lauren Winter
Age: 16
Experience: Started at nine
Lauren is currently at the pinnacle of her sport, having begun her participation in it seven years ago.
She competes on a weekly basis at her local club in Nhulunbuy, and she also frequently goes to other parts of the country to take part in a variety of competitions.
To this day, Lauren's triumph in the 15-16 girls Girls Cruiser Class at the 2022 Auscycling Australian BMX Championships, a competition in which she already holds the title of Australian champion, stands out as her most notable accomplishment.
After having competed for her nation at an international level during the World BMX Championships in France the year before, she has set her sights on being chosen for the Australian team that will compete at the World Championships in Rock Hill, United States of America, the following year.
However, her ultimate goal is to compete in the BMX event in the Olympics while representing Australia.
Penny Ralph
Age: 12
Experience: Started at seven
Penny started her career in 2018, so she has come a long way from her days of racing a MiniXL.
The juvenile rider has been going up against her friend and fellow rider Kendra in the NT Champs for the past five years, and this weekend she hopes to finally take home the gold.
Even though BMX racing is her passion, the young gun isn't adverse to switching things up every once in a while by jumping on her mountain bike and tearing through Pine Forest.
Despite her competitive nature and her goal of setting as many personal bests as she can in each race, Penny values the relationships she has forged with her fellow cyclists above all else.
Kendra Seiboth
Age: 12
Experience: Started at six
Kendra was unhappy that her first bike, an orange Hotwheels bike that she got from Kmart for Christmas in 2017, came with training wheels. The bike was a gift from Santa Claus.
Because Kendra is not the type of person to sit around and speculate, she and her sister removed the bicycle's training wheels in the middle of the night as the rest of her family slept.
The next morning, Kendra could be heard triumphantly screaming, "Look, I can ride with no training-wheels," much to the amazement of her family. "Look, I can ride with no training-wheels!"
Since that time, she has been riding a bicycle of some kind.
The Jingili BMX Club rider, who already has the support of three sponsors, has her sights set on competing in the BMX or track events in the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane.
Kendra enjoys competing both with and against her teammate Penny Ralph in the 12 girls division of competition.
Abigail Miller
Age: 10
Experience: Started at five
At age five, Abigail declared to her parents that she would grow up to represent Australia in BMX.
At this year's BMX World Championships in Glasgow, she fulfilled a lifelong goal by competing in both the Cruiser and Challenge Classes, ultimately finishing 28th and 42nd, respectively.
Abigail is the most committed athlete in the junior divisions, training up to six days a week in the hopes of making the 2024 Olympic team.
She has improved her pack riding by competing with boys, as there is a small but developing female junior base in the NT.
As a BMX rider, she hopes to continue representing Australia in the future and eventually get an Australia Plate and even a World Plate.
Isabella Miller
Age: 8
Experience: Started at three
The younger Miller just got back from the BMX World Championships in Glasgow, where she competed and ended up placing 12th overall. There, she had the opportunity to compete at the highest level of the sport.
Even though there aren't many other girls in her age group, she is constantly competing for first place and personal bests (PBs). She became interested in the activity after observing her older brother and sister already participating in it.
She has set her sights on winning an Australia plate at the forthcoming BMX Aussie Internationals in Shepparton, and she hopes to one day compete at the highest level of the sport and represent her country internationally.